Murray's
Cheese Shop,
257 Bleeker Street, New York, NY 10014, (212) 243-3289, is having
its 6th Annual Festival of Irish Farmhouse Cheeses in celebration
of St. Patrick's Day. We suggest that you try them with your St.
Patrick's Day Breakfast and Dinner,
or for snacking in-between. Here are the types of cheese available:
Now through the end of March, Murray's presents a unique selection
of Irish farmhouse Cheese in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

Ardrahan: Eugene and Mary Sums
received a silver medal at the 1995 British Cheese Awards for this
cheese with its distinctive, earthy aroma. Beneath the brine-washed
rind, the deep yellow interior is firm and slightly chalky. It exudes
a wonderful complexity of flavors, the zesty acidity underscoring
the buttery, savory, meaty character. The finish is reminiscent
of a young Gruyere.

Bally Blue:Made by the Woodford dairy's Fivemiletown creamery in Northern
Ireland, this soft-ripened mild blue with a bloomy white rind is
kin to Cambozola and Blue Castello, but with a richer milky flavor.
Made from pasteurized full-cream milk, the cheese comes in 1.7 kilo
wheels and is good for snacking with the appropriate Pinot Noir
or Sauvignon Blanc.

Cooleeney: This Camembert-style
is hand-made by Breda Maher in the Tipperary region of Ireland.
Full-flavored and grassy, with a distinct aroma of mushrooms when
ripe, Cooleeney's rich, semi-liquid interior benefits from the lush
pastures for which Tipperary is famous. The cheese ripens in four
to eight weeks and has a fat content of 45 percent.

St. Killian:Made in County Wexford on Carrigbyrne Farm by the Berridge
Family, this hexagonal-shaped full-flavored Camembert is made with
vegetable rennet and is one of Ireland's oldest cheese traditions,
dating back to the 1750's. Hand-made with a bloomy white rind, these
250 gram discs are made of pasteurized cow's milk from the farm's
own herd. Mild when young, the cheese develops an aromatic, clean
flavor and, in Ireland, is often breaded and fried. St. Killian
goes well with red wines such as Beaujolais, Burgundy, or Claret.

St. Tola: St. Tola is a soft
goat's milk cheese, prized for its delicate tang and fruity aroma.
It is the choice of many leading chefs, not only for the cheeseboard
but also as a starter. In County Clare, Derrick and Meg Gonton make
this fine cheese using milk from their organic goatherd.

Cashel Blue: from Neal's Yard
Dairy's description: In the 1730's, the Grubb family of Tipperary
left Ireland for America. They were to be shipbuilders and prospects
looked good when they secured a lucrative contract on the Eastern
seaboard. The contract was, unfortunately, more secure than the
will to honor it, and on completion the Grubbs found themselves
badly out of pocket. Discouraged with their New World experience,
they returned to Ireland and set up a grain milling business back
in Tipperary. Just over two hundred and fifty years later, the Grubb
family find themselves doing business with the New World once more.
Made from pasteurized cow's milk, Cashel has a soft texture and
a sweet flavor cut through with streaks of mellow tasting blue-green
mould.

Durrus: from Neal's Yard Dairy's
description: Made in County Cork by Jeffa Gill, Durrus is a raw
milk washed-rind cheese, Jeffa began making Durrus in the late seventies.
In the early days, the cheeses didn't stray far from the kitchen,
being made over the stove and eaten around the table. When the neighbor
tried them they were so impressed they asked to buy some. Jeffa
agreed and word spread beyond the immediate locale fuelling a demand
Jeffa couldn't meet with the milk from her eight cows. Now Jeffa
buys milk from a farmer six miles down the road. The flavor of Durrus
is milky-sweet, the texture oozy rather than runny and is delicious
eaten on a baguette accompanied with some fruit, a sunny spot, music,
wine and someone close.

Gubbeen:Tom Fergusons family has farmed in the Schull area of County
Cork since his great-great-great grandfather arrived there on a
bicycle Ferguson keeps pure-bred Friesian, Simmenthal and Kerry
cattle to provide the milk for his cheeses, which his wife Gianna
makes every day. The curds are washed before they are ladled into
molds, giving Gubbeen its smooth, pliable texture. The cheeses are
rind-washed with salt water.St Brenden Brie:(Sorry, not a
whole lot of information on this one) Soft ripened, very runny,
strong flavored Irish brie.

Just for kicks, we also have an Irish Farmhouse Butter for the occasion:
delicious full flavor, lightly salted, country farmhouse butter
with a deep yellow color signifying rich pastures.